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Study: Americans aren't the worst but still have empathy issues

Study: Americans aren't the worst but still have empathy issues

Americans may need to re-evaluate how compassionate we are after ranking seventh on a list of the most empathetic countries in the world.

Ecuador topped the list, followed by Saudi Arabia, Peru, Denmark, the United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Taiwan, Costa Rica, and Kuwait. The Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology conducted the study to find the most empathetic countries in the world.

The study included 104,000 people who answered an online survey that measured their compassion for others and “their tendency to imagine others’ point of view,” according to Science Daily.

"These changes might ultimately cause us to leave our close relationships behind," said William Chopik, assistant professor of psychology at Michigan State University and lead author of the study. "People are struggling more than ever to form meaningful close relationships. So, sure, the United States is seventh on the list, but we could see that position rise or fall depending on how our society changes in the next 20-50 years."

Chopik told Science Daily that he was surprised that Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait ranked so highly “considering the long history of aggression and wars with other countries in the region.” He added that while the study is just “a snapshot” of other countries, it does show cultural change occurring.

"This is particularly true of the United States, which has experienced really large changes in things like parenting practices and values," he told Science Daily. "People may portray the United States as this empathetic and generous giant, but that might be changing."